


King Anthony

by LittleMsStark3000



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, IronWidow - Freeform, JARVIS - Freeform, Kings & Queens, Light Angst, Natasha Romanoff - Freeform, Royalty, Tonynat, tony stark - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-26
Packaged: 2020-09-26 17:18:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20393323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMsStark3000/pseuds/LittleMsStark3000
Summary: King Anthony chose Princess Natasha to be his Queen.They have been married, but he has yet to win her heart.





	King Anthony

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies in advance for the inconsistency of tone and the errors on tenses or spelling. I am sooo sleepy and I just wanted this published ASAP. I will fix them later. Enjoy!

Natasha lifted her head from the hardbound book she was reading when her lady-in-waiting called her attention. 

“Queen Natasha,” Ana bowed to her before continuing what she came there to say. “The King and his men have just arrived.” 

“Thank you, Ana.” She immediately closed the book, put it on the side table and stood up to meet Anthony. 

The King, her husband, has been away for the last four days; its cause was unknown to her. Anyway, she did not wish to know of his whereabouts and he knew it. In several instances, she made him understand that. 

“Is he heading to his office next or the main chamber?” Natasha asked before she headed out of the library, her favorite room in the palace. 

Ana followed her as they spoke. “The King is heading to the bedrooms and Sir Jarvis has given an order not to disturb His Highness.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked back to the maiden. “Why so?” 

Jarvis, the palace’s courtier, would never give such order if not for an important reason. Everyone in the kingdom was aware that the King was most of the time, if not always, available to anyone or anything which needed his attention – this included even waking him up in the middle of the night if necessary. 

“At the moment, His Highness is not in his best health, Queen Natasha. Sir Jarvis has advised him to rest for the day and has asked to call the physician to see the King.” 

“He is sick?” she felt worry arise in her chest, an emotion she did not acknowledge until last night, the third night that she has not seen him and heard from him, and now that Ana talked about her husband being unwell. 

“I am afraid so, Your Highness,” the maiden lowered her head, seemingly distressed to be the bearer of bad news. 

Without replying, she walked faster to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, holding on to her skirt so as not to trip along the way. When she reached the door of the royal room, she breathed deeply, preparing herself to see him, then pushed it open. 

Natasha found him lying on the bed, sleeping. As she got nearer, she noticed that his face was flushed and sweat beaded on his forehead and temples despite the cold room temperature. 

She turned when she heard knocks from outside their room. 

“Your Highness,” Jarvis, together with two more maidens, bowed when she opened the door. “We are here to attend to the King. The physician is also on the way to check on His Highness.” 

“Thank you. You may bring those inside and leave me to attend to the King on my own." 

Surprise was evident on the courtier’s expression. She expected that, knowing that the man – more than anyone else in the palace – was aware of the situation between her and Anthony after they got married. This man had been serving her husband ever since he was a Young Prince to the deceased King Howard and Queen Maria. At some point, she even thought that Jarvis might have been feeling ill about her for giving a difficult time to the kingdom’s beloved leader, whom he seemed to have already treated as the son he never had. 

Natasha opened the door wider, so the maidens can leave the things that they have brought for temporary relief. They left immediately after.  


“Thank you, Your Highness.” Jarvis bowed again to her, this time, with a smile that she caught.  


She did not respond verbally but smiled back a little, too, before closing the door.  


*****  


It was half past 1 in the morning when Natasha was awakened by Anthony’s groaning beside her. He was lying sideways, his back on her, on their huge bed.  


She rubbed her eyes, got up to sit and turned the bedside lamp on. Then, gently, she ran her hand on his arm to wake him up – he looked like he was having another nightmare.  


It was not the first time that she caught him having nightmares. When it first happened, it was just a week after their wedding. She heard him saying something like “no, please”, muffled, in his sleep from the adjoined room. It was followed by more instances in the last three months. Sometimes, he was just groaning like now; other times, he was talking like he was scared in his sleep.  


Yes, they have been sleeping separately since they got married. Anthony had a personal study room connected to the royal room, with a smaller bed in it. Because of the unusual circumstances of their marriage, he chose to stay there every night and not sleep beside her… until tonight – and it was just because he was sick and unaware that he was on their bed.  


“Anthony, wake up…” she softly said.  


The young king continued to stir in his sleep.  


Natasha hovered on him, cupped his right cheek and slightly tapped his left. “Anthony, wake up. It is me, Natasha…”  


Startled, her husband opened his eyes which shot its look on her.  


“N-natasha…” his voice was hoarse.  


“Yes,” she helped him get up before leaving the bed to get a glass of water on the other side of the room, where his medicine and food prescribed by the physician were placed.  


“Here,” she offered the drink and he took it as she just stood there.  


It took a few more moments before he looked back at her then to the bed where he was on.  


“I… I am not supposed to be here. Forgive me,” he stood up almost hurriedly.  


Natasha has not spoken a word and her husband has already crossed to the next room. Her eyes automatically shut and she sighed heavily. As if her feet have their own mind, she found herself following him – to Anthony’s surprise.  


“You are unwell,” those were the first words that escaped her mouth unthoughtfully.  


He was still standing beside the other bed. “I am feeling somehow better. And… thank you for waking me up.”  


She bit her lip, her insides felt like twisting.  


“You should go back to bed,” he suggested.  


Instead of going back to the main room, she approached his bed and sat on one side, her back was on him. The soft cushion moved again after a while and she figured that he sat on the other side, too. She confirmed it when she turned her head a little; Anthony’s back was facing hers, him looking on the wall.  


One more time, she breathed and looked down to her feet before asking: “You had a bad dream?”  


“It is not uncommon. I am sorry if I have bothered you.”  


His tone was low, but it was not icy, neither was it warm or welcoming. Compared to her usual tone on him whenever she shoved him away, his was still kinder.  


“Would it be of help if you told me about it?”  


Natasha heard him sigh. “It must be caused by the long travel. I was just tired from the past days’ engagements.”  


“You have been tiring yourself too much. I spoke to Jarvis after the physician checked on you and he has told me that, for the past seven days, you have visited at least twelve neighboring towns to talk about our products and trades; at least four gatherings and two funerals. He mentioned that you even visited the defense troops and our neighboring palace. Before you left without a word four days ago, you have been staying up for nights and talking to hundreds of people here in the palace and outside.”  


“You have nothing to worry about, Queen. All of those are part of my responsibilities to the people of our kingdom and our allies.”  


“You are right, I am the Queen. And I should have been helping you out. Do not deny that some of what you do now are supposed to be my duty.”  


“Natasha, I have promised that I will never force you to do anything against your will. Not anymore. I made you sacrifice enough.”  


The promise he made on the night of their wedding, she remembered. Their marriage was arranged against her will. As the King, who succeeded the throne of his late mother and father, he had all the powers to choose whom he would want to marry and be the Queen of his kingdom. He chose her.  


Prior to their marriage, she was Princess Natasha, daughter of King Ivan who was ruling one of King Anthony’s allied kingdoms. She was an only child because her mother died when she was born, causing her father to harbor bitterness towards her all her life. When the younger King asked for her hand, King Ivan gave her away without hesitation.  


Anthony took his promise to heart: since she was just forced to marry him, he would never impose anything else to her unless she willed to do things for him and his kingdom. They have not even consummated their marriage because he understood that she did not love him at all. It was true – Natasha did not love her husband, but she did not abhor him like he believed. Despite being cold to him because of the situation, she has seen how good he was as a leader and as a person. He was kind and honest. He was generous. He thought of what would be best for most, if not all, of his people. 

As a husband, he looked after her and provided everything that she needed. She also noticed the small or random acts he did for her. Anthony was such a gentleman. Whenever they eat together at the dining hall, he pulled a chair for her, even when she chose to sit on the far end of the long table away from him. He ordered for her to receive fresh fruits every day and fresh flowers twice a week. One time, when it was her who caught a flu, he almost did not work whole day to stay with her even if she was just asleep; Ana was the one who told her this when she got better. 

As a wife and his Queen, she never asked for anything that she wanted from him, but she noticed that when she expressed liking of a specific book subject, dress, food or ornament, new ones of which will be delivered to her in a few days. Her husband must have been asking around to identify her preferences. More than all of these, she admired his respect to her, sticking to their sleeping arrangement and not forcing her into doing the responsibilities in the palace which she did not personally sign up for.  


Natasha had finally admitted – she missed him when he did not show up for three days straight and she was honestly worried when he got home sick.  


And now, he was keeping his distance, thinking that he was still an unwanted presence in her life.  


Pushing herself up, she stood and walked to his side of the bed to stand before him.  


“You may have taken away my freedom when you asked for my hand in marriage, but you never made me feel miserable. You actually saved me from my lonely life back in our kingdom, with my own father.”  


“Natasha…”  


She reached both of his hands and held on to them. “You have me, my King. I am your Queen, your wife. I am yours.”  


Anthony also stood up and gathered her in his arms briefly, but he pulled again and held her shoulders to stare at her face. His expression spelled uncertainty. “My Queen, you do not have to feel obligated to do this.”  


Natasha moved her hands to cup his face and tip-toed to kiss him. It was a soft, quick kiss; just a brush on his lips.  


When their eyes met again, both were glistening with unspoken happiness.  


“I love you, Natasha. I loved you long before you knew me. I’ve been waiting –”  


She kissed him quickly one more time. “You can tell me more later. I missed having you around... Please do not leave ever again without saying goodbye.” Then she wrapped her arms around his neck.  


“Never again, my love.”

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are greatly appreciated! Lemme know what you think! Thanks! :)


End file.
